Apparatus for launching rocket bombs from aircraft



March l0, 1953 l R. A. ROBERT x-:TAL 25630740 APPARATUS FOR .LAUNCHING ROCKET BOMBS FROM AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 22, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet l l0 8 l0 1- l -f- O O O O O U U I A U T Flai gif/'P5 HW- grof a i La March l0, 1953 R. A. ROBERT ETAL 2,630,740

APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING ROCKET BOMBS FROM AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 22, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 10, 1953 R. A. ROBERT ETAI. 2,630,740

APPARATUS F OR LAUNCHING ROCKET BOMBS FROM AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 22. 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 March l0, 1953 R. A. ROBERT. ET Al. 2,630,740

APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING ROCKET BOMS FROM AIRCRAFT Filed Oct. 22, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 15! 88Y Y* 162' 161 16o 166 March 1o, 1953 R. A. oBERT ETAL Filed Oct. 22. 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 ZWvENTa/e sf Patented Mar. 10, 1953 APPARATUS FOR LAUNCHING ROCKET BOMBS FROM AIRCRAFT Roger .Aim Robert, Boulogne-sur-Seine, and Pierre Paul Matge, Aubervilliers, France; said Matge assigner to said Robert Application october .z2/,(1949, serial No. 122,888 In France October 29, 1948 8 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for launching rocket-bombs or rockets from aircraft.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for launching rocket-bombs from aircraft which enables a plurality of rocket-bombs to be launched or fired in quick succession, thereby conferring to said aircraft a considerably increased destructive capacity.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for launching rocket-bombs from aircraft whereby, at the will of an operator, one, or more, or all of the load of rockets carried by said aircraft may be selectively launched or red.

A further object comprises a rocket-launching or ring device of the type described which permits of the rockets being successively fired in accurately predetermined ballistic conditions, said conditions remaining strictly the same as from one of the rockets to anotherregardless of the rank of the rocket in the succession of rockets fired, thereby ensuring accurate and highly efficient fire.

It is another object to provide a rocket-firing device of the type described wherein the rockets are adapted to be positively maintained in all directions and are blocked in stationary condition regardless of any forces that may be applied to them due to acceleration effects exerted on the carrier aircraft. both in 'magnitude and direction.

Itis also an object of this invention to provide a rocket-launching device for aircraft such that said rockets may be fired at any moment and independently of any forces they may have been subjected to prior to the time of firing due to acceleration of said aircraft. Y l

Another object lies in the provision of a rocketring device of the type described wherein firing of each individual rocket is automatically produced upon said rocket reaching its firing position.

Another object is to provide a rocket-firing device for aircraft in which automatic firing of each rocket successively reaching its firing position as mentioned in the foregoing paragraph is produced in a simple, safe and reliable manner.

Another object is to provide such a rocket-firing device which is of comparatively reduced size and is adapted to contain a substantially high number of rockets within a relatively small space.

Another object resides in such a rocket-launching device for aircraft which comprises means enabling the entire rocket-load carried by the aircraft to be dropped or cast off in inert condition in case `cf necessity.

A further object lies in the provision of such a quickly loaded.

And an object is to provide such a rocketlaunching device which is simple of construction and reduced in weight.

In the ensuing description, given by way of illustration rather than of limitation, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general view in side elevation and partly in section with one of the side-panels of the magazine removed and certain other parts omitted for greater clarity;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an overhead plan view, with the cover and the drive mechanism removed;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale of the upper portion of the rocket-firing apparatus of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a front View of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5;

r'ig. 7 is a side elevation on a still further enlarged scale showing the front portion of the means connecting a rocket-bomb with another rocket-bomb;

Fig. is a transverse section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

rig. 9 is a partial overhead plan view of a rocket contained in the magazine;

Fig. 10 is a view simiiar to Fig. 7 but relating to the rear portion of the means interconnecting the rockets;

rig. 11 is a section on line l l-l I of Fig. 10;

Fig. i2 is a side elevation showing part of the rocket interconnecting means in a modification of the invention;

Fig. 13 is a transverse section on line l3-l3 of Fig. 12 with some parts removed for greater clarity and Fig. le is a wiring diagram of the electric control circuit of the apparatus.

An apparatus according to the invention comprises a magazine 20 vdisposed in the aircraft, for instance in the fuselage thereof, and a number of tubular framework elements of the magazine are shown at 2| to 30. The magazine comprises rear side-wall elements 3l and 32 and intermediate partition element 33 thus defining two longitudinally extending compartments 34 and35 parallel to the longitudinal centre plane of the carrier aircraft and overlying an opening in the bottom of the fuselage.

Internally the magazine comprises two vertical threaded rods 36 and 3l arranged with their centre axes in the longitudinal centre plane 3 X-X. Each of said threaded rods is maintained at the bottom of the magazine with a ball-bearing pivot 38 and is provided at its top with an appendage 39 through which the rod is connected with a shaft 40 by means of a pin 4|. Keyed on the shaft 40' and mounted/withinean upper casing in ball-bearings 43 and 44 is a bevel pinion" 45 in mesh with a mating bevel pinion 46 whose shaft 41 is driven from an electric motor 48 (Figi. 14). Each of the rods 36 and 31 respectively cooperates with complementarily th'reade'dbores 49' Y and 49' respectively, formed in a pair of transl verse bridge-members 50,- 59", intercoin'lectingl chimneys there is secured a liner 54. Said liners s each present a cylindrical bearing surface 55"and a tapered bearing surface 56 cooperating with mating# journal surface 51 and 58 formed on a' finger 59. The finger 59 is solid with-a bracket 60 formed with an aperture 6| in which is mounted a cylindrical journal 62 forming the extremity of a tube 63. The opposite end of the tube63 i's formed as a journal 64 similar to the journal 62 engaging an aperture 65 formed in a bracket 66.- Thebracket 66 is solid with anger 61 mountedv in the rear chimney 53. The dual girder structuref'l, 5|' thussupportstwo parallel longitudinally-extending tubes 63, 63 respectively in generally common vertical planes with the compartments 34-and'35.

Extending from end toend through the tube 63 is aV sleeve 64'which-serves1- tohouse an internally-threadedl bushing 65 provided with a flange 66 at its lowerl enda'ndcooperating with athreaded-rod 61 terminatingy externally of the tube 63 in an eye-ho1ef68. Said eye-hole has inserted thereinto the end 69`` of ahook member mounted for rotation about a pin 1|. The hook member 10 is provi-dedjwithaJ shoulder 12 adaptedtocooperate with theend 13 of a-lever 14L mounted for rotation abouta pin-15.y The opposite endr16 of lever 14 is providedwith a notch 11 engaged by the end of a crankpin-YTS mounted for rotation about a pin 19. The lever- 1'4i'is'subjected to' theactionof a'spring 80 urging the end 13 to ka retracted positionwith respectto the shoulder 12', suchretraction being prevented'inthe` positionof parts shownj in Fig. 5 by the cooperation of the notch 11 with-the crank-pin18.'

The bracket 60 supports" two arms- 8| and 82 in each'of` which are mounted pins83A and 84-re` spectively. Said pins are threaded-through eyed holes 85 and'86N formed on a collar member 81 rigidwith the body 88 of a'rocket'bombadjacent the forward end thereof. The collar 81 carries pins'89'and'90 at its bottom; v l

In the form of embodiment shown; theV suspension means comprising studs or pinslandthe cooperating eye-holes are-formed atthe ends of` appendages 9|, 92, 93 and` 94 solidwith' a-ringl 95= surrounding the body of a rocket@ In this manner the said suspension means are spaced from the axis of the next following'rocket by al predetermined distance which isthev samev for the respective pins and eye-holes.l

Each rocket 88-further comprises rearwardly thereof a collar 98 similar tothe collar 81 but which comprises as its only suspension means an eye-hole |00.and a pin |0| placed'in `a diametric plane whichis a plane of symmetry forlthegsus'-V pension.` means -of-the forward. collar 8-1 The collars 81 and 98 with their related pins and eye-holes serve to suspend the rockets 88 from the tube 63 or from the tube 63 as the case may be, as well as to suspend the rockets from each other. Each of the compartments 34 andA 35 lthus contains rank orf bank of frockets arrangedfone above anbtlerf Wththeir axes parallel to the longitudinal centre plane of the aircraft, and suspended from one another, all of the rocketsv of a bank being suspended from the tube "whichsurm'ounts the bank under consideration, respectively 63 or 63', said tubes in turn beingf suspended from the girders 50, and 5l through themedium of the hooks 10. The connectionbetween the rearmost pin |8| and the eye-hole` |00 of the lowermost rocket into which vsaid pinl is insertdis completed by an easily shearable Cotter-pin or shear-pin |02.

The'vfr'ont collars 81 each comprise, in diametrically opposed relationship and arranged in a plane perpendicular to the vplane for symmetry ofthe suspension means, twocylindrical'studsV |03 and |04,. which; for the rockets of compa-rtment 35,1are housed in vertical guide rails |05,`

or sectionof the magazine -2-0 assigned' toone of l the banks of rockets.)

The rear collars 98 have` secured thereto on` each sidethereofV straps |08 andY |09` whicheeach4 carry a forwardly directed contact nger ||0 made of an electrica1lyconductivematerial; The contactlfingerslareformed toward the rear ends thereof with blind holes in which. contact plugs ||2.!areinserted, saidplugsbei-ng slightly expansible" and mounted on the endvof a-v wire conductor I3. The-.rearcolla-r 98E of each rocketthus has two conductors" ||3- and ||4 leading.

thereto" (see Fig. 14) respectively terminating atthe contactrplugs I2 and ||3.V The 'wires'l |3 and |4. of lai rocket` are: electrically connected with the' ends ofzafiring.v resistor H6 of"y the immediately lower'rocket, through the medium of an electrical connecting member comprising two elements I1 and1,|:|8 readilyseparablezupon-be= ing pulled away fromeacliother. The contactl finger ||0 and the opposite contact fingerV ||9 in each rocket are'adapted toi cooperatei'duringthe downward movement of therocke't'A through the magazine,l as describedlpresently, with contact strips, |20-and |21 mounted atthe bottom ofthe magazine for rotation about pins |22 and |23and= constantly subjected Vto the 'urge of' springs (not shown) urging. them towardr therngers |1|0Aand For'the' uppermostrocket;of.` a file` or bankA the wires supplying current-to. theresistors` ||6- extend'from plugs; |12 and H5 inserted into conductive lingersV carried by appendagesy |88" and |09 carried by the'bracket 66.- Y

The Wire |2-1fserves to supply the-electric motorV 49; and anormally open cut-off switch |48` is interposed in the circuit. The switch comprises two fixed contact elements IIHY and |42 adapted to be electrically connected bya strip |43-Y carried on arod |44 adapted to-be'depressed under the` eenen, p f a firing trigger .145? The 4wire 121' moreover interconnects through the medium of a branch connection |46 the contact arm or strip 20 with the feeder |26, the opposite strip |26 being earthed. The conductor |41 has `interposed therein the winding of an electromagnet |41 the movable element of which m-ay either be directly connected with a rotatably mounted hook |48 (which plays the part of the hook 10 of Figs. 1 and 5) or may be connected with the crankpin 18 shown in Fig. 5.

The rockets at their rear ends are provided with collapsible fins |49 each comprising an internal element |50 solid with the body of the rocket and an outer element |5| pivotally mountedn on the inner element, resilient means being interposed between both said elements urging the outer element |5| to extended condition.

The above-described apparatus operates as fol.- lows:

'Ihe magazine is charged with a supply of rocket-bombs. The rocket-bombs in the magazine form two vertical banks or les with the rockets in each le disposed above one another and suspended to or from one another, each le as a whole being supported from the tubes 63, 63', which tubes in turn are attached to the girders 5|, 5|". The rockets in each file are vertically displaced or offset with respect to those of the adjacent le as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in such a way that the horizontal plane of a rocket in the right-hand compartment passes at an equal distance from the horizontal centre planes between two successive rockets of the lefthand compartment.

When it is desired to launch or re a rocket, it is merely necessary to depress the trigger |45. The circuit |21 is then completed and the motor 48 started. The motor through the bevel-gearing 45-46 drives the shaft 40 and the screwrods 36 and 31 which start revolving about their axes. The girders 5| and 5| which are prevented from rotating because of their connection with the rockets and Whose threaded apertures 49, 49 cooperate with the said screw-rods, move downwardly along the latter and thus are effective to feed the rockets in the respective les down towards the outlet apertures |52 and |53.

During this feed movement, and also in the rest condition, the rails |05, |06 and |05', |06 are effective to maintain the rockets against any forces that maybe exerted thereupon in any direction whatever, in particular those resulting from any accelerations of the aircraft or from rapid changes in its attitude.

i The lowermost rocket of the right-hand le (Fig. 2) projects from the magazine and the aircraft, whereas the lowermost rocket of the left-hand le is still contained in the magazine. The lowermost rocket of the right-hand le 881 reaches its ring position (shown in chain lines in Fig. 2) which is the closest position to the outlet |53 consistent with extension of the tailns of the rocket. While the rocket is within the magazine, its tail-fins are folded, as the walls 3|, 32 prevent expansion thereof. During the progression of a rocket outwardly of the magazine, its tail-fins expand progressively as they escape from the constraining action of the walls and they reach a fully extended or expanded condition as the rocket attains its ring position, or position of release.

Upon the rocket 881 reaching its firing position, the contact fingers l|2 and ||5 of the rocket 882, which is next higher in rank, cooperate with the contact strips |20 and |2I. An electric current then ows through the wires ||3 and||4 and the resistor ||6 of the rocket 881; the latter is then fired and released, the shear-pin |02 being sheared under the thrust imparted to the rocket. Upon release of the rocket the electric connecting element I8 attached to the rocket 881 becomes separated from the element I |1 attached to the rocket 882.

On release of the rocket 861 the lowermost rocket 881', of the left-hand compartment is in the position shown in chain lines in Fig. 2. Its upper ns are then only partly expanded. The rockets in both banks move further down and the rocket 881", in its turn reaches the position of release: it is automatically fired as previously described through the cooperation of the contact fingers of the rocket 882', with the contact plates arrangedl adjacent the bottom outlet of the compartment 34.

Launching of the rockets thus proceeds in succession, the rockets in each bank being released in alternating sequence so long as pressure is maintained upon the trigger |45. So soon however as the trigger is released the motor 48 is no longer supplied and both the downward feed movement of the rockets and the ring is suspended. Operation is resumed upon nger-pressure being again applied to the trigger |45.

Should for any reason it be necessary to drop the whole supply of rocket-bombs remaining in the magazine,` it is merely necessary to press the button |33. The circuit |21 is first opened, the strip |31 disengages the contacts |34 and |35; the rockets are thus put into an inert condition. The strip |31 cooperates immediately thereafter with the contact elements |38 and |39, thereby completing the circuit |28. The electromagnet |41 is energized and the hook 10 (or |48) is released. The weight ofthe rockets exerted on the eye-hole 68 swings the hook 10 (or |48) and both banks of rockets together with the tubes 63, 63' surmounting them move down through the magazine under the action of gravity and are dropped in inert condition into space. The downward movement in this dropping operation is also guided by the rails |05, |06.

In the modification shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the suspension of the rockets from one another is accomplished with the help of flat hooks, in addition to the collars 81 and 98 with the cooperating studs and eye-holes, said flat hooks being Vdisposed laterally on each side of the collars. This alternative is particularly applicable in connection with the firing of heavyweight rocket-bombs.

In this alternative, each collar 81 (or 98) laterally comprises knobs or buttons |60. From one of` the knobs |60 a hook |62 is attached through a hole |6| formed at the top of the knob, said hook |62 being formed with a notch |63 adjacent its bottom. The knobs |60 further have attached thereto an upper hook |62 through the upper notches |63' thereof. The rockets in a bank are thus supported by two series of vertical hooks, the upper hooks of each series being pivoted on the bracket 60. Around each of the knobs |60 there is moreover threaded a spring |64 which acts to urge the lower hook 62 in such a direction that, after the rocket supported therefrom has been released, said hook is brought to a horizontal position. The hooks move over guide channels or rails |66 similar in function to the rails |05 and |06.

' Whatwefclaim ist.l

1..An airplane" arnuamient.- comprises: a rocket-bomb'H release` apparatusiins cluding a magazine-housed inthelfuselageeof 'said aircraft and fixedrelativelyfthereto, aloWerlout@A let-'aperture in saidfmagazine; alfstringfof rocket;-

bombsv in said magazine. over' saidoutletfsu's' pension means for` A each rocket adaptedi tol sus` tain the Weight of the rockets -ofisaid' tilingfin'- eluded between saideach *1 rocket-anw said? outlet,

hanger meansrsupporting'saidlstring, meansffor. feeding said hangertowards saidi outlet'gmeans: for guidingn the rockets tliemagazine diningv such feed displacement, andfiringmeansfoperative toflre a rocket'as it emerges-from saidinaga" zine'through said'outlet.7

2; An' armament assembly-'for 'anairplane AHav*- ing a fuselage; which comprises: av plurality of rocket-bombsk in parallel substantially superim-A posed relationship in said fuselage-above'falow# ermost outlet thereof; suspension means-'interposed between each adjacent! pairn of rocket# bombs for supporting arocket'ibomb'from' the rocket-bomb next above it; a hooking support-forY the uppermost rocket-bomb of" saidl plurality; means `for feeding saidhookingsupport towards said outlet, guide means for'guiding'saidirocket bombs in such feed' displacement, andv firing means operative to-re a rocket bomb' as' it emerges from the fuselage-throughtsaidoutlet.

3. In an airplane: a'fusela-ge, an outlet in the bottom of said fuselage; a string' of 'longitudinelly-extending rocket bombs in said fuselage overhanging saidoutletsuspen'ded from one an. other in parallel andisubstantially"contiguous re-L lationship, means `forsupporting:and'for feeding said string.; towards said" outlet', and meansfor firing a rocketbombas'it emerges Afrom the"fuse= lage through said outlet.

4. Airplane asin claim 2, whereinsaidisupport'- ing and feeding meansV comprise' a `pair'of 1gird'ers in superimposed relationship; thelowergirder suspended from `the upper girder throughretract` ible hooking means.

5'; iStringof two rocketbombswhich'comprises: a pair of longitudinally-spaced collars onl the' body of each rocket,Y aJpair-"offemale"members'in a'diametric plane'ofsaid rstf'collar-and on either side'of said plane and rigid'w-ith =saidfrst`collar alpairof male members rigidwith' saidstfcol-' lar' in diametrically topposed relation to said-fe' male: membersf` in: the seiner longitudinali posii tion relatively toxthe irocketlbodyf asisaid female membersza: female membersrigidr Withsaidi-sec'# ondicollar inv said;diametrcplaneandla meileV apparatus' which" 8;. let saldi; fuselage; a: pluralityfof: rocketzbombs overlying.' said; outle ,i ini paralleli superimposed relatie'mship;` meansf'; for;` supportingA saidr rocket bombs and bodilyf feeding. them. towards,` said lying? said outlet'. an'df suspended from oneri an.-

othergpmeanszfor: feeding-'said' rank towards; said outlet', .andzm'earis for rngsaid. rank as vitvhas issued out of said bottom through said outlet 8`; Armament .assenlbly-` for'an airplanezhaving a fuselage, which comprises: an outlet inisaid fuselage;v guide. means! overlying said." outlet.' in af-longitudina'l centrali plane :of saidY outlet;v suspension.` meansl cooperating4 with said; guide meansi and including. transverse a hanger means on"4 eithersidef of said central plane,--two ranks of` nnedrocket bombs suspended from said hanger meansv and suspendedA from one another', means.' for feeding;` said suspension means; to; Wards: said:- outlet,. means for#` ring, a2 rocket bomb of eachrank as-.it issues. outaof the fuselage'through' said outlet; Athe .rockets fin one. rank beingstaggered relatively tof-those of: the;other. rank;

RoGERiAn/I ROBERT. PIERRE.' PrAULtMATGEl.

REFERENCES CITED;

The following references arefof-record in the lei of 'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSL Number: Name Date 2,421,898 Lambertret al. June 10,1947 2-;451,745 Jolly) 1-. .Oct. 19; 1948 2,459,314V Goodhue v Jani 18, 1949 FOREIGN' PATENTS'Y` l NumberV n Country. Date.

421,2621 Great Britain, ..Novi 9, 1934 596,288 Great Britain. Y .Jan. 1,. 1948Y 710,422. Germany .Sept; 12, 1941V OTHER* REFERENCES OSRD" 5.787,' February. 1946, ,The Development ofRocket' Fins and LugrBandlKts forUse Witlfi Flush-Mount Launcher on" Arcraft'by-` G. WI En'gstrom`V and I'. Beddoe, Final'Report Series WL No; 18.4 from' Allegany Ballistics Laboratory. Marke unclassified April 26,A 1950i-v (Copy in Divisioni? 0)' 

